Operating mechanism for elevator doors



April 29, 1924.

1,492,371 T. E. GRIFFITH ET AL OPERATING MECHANISM FOR ELEVATOR DOORSFiled June 16 1923 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Fig.1.

' Thomas LGr'nffiTh Lee L. Dodds ATTORNE may I!) sm 10 I0 v INVENTORS.

T. E. GRIFFITH ET AL OPERATING MECHANISM FOR ELEVATOR DOORS April 29,1-924. 1,492,371

Filed June 16, 1923 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Fig.6. 45

lNVzgNTpRs. Thomas E.Gnff\th By Lee L.Dod is A TTORNE Patented Apr. 2%,i924.

Ul liTEE STATES THOMAS E. GRIFFITE AND LEE L. DODDS,

0F CLEVELAND, OHIO, ASSIGNOBIS TO THE W. S. TYLER OOIMPANY, OFCLEVELAND, OHIO, B. CORPORATION OF 0310.

OPERATING MECHANISM FOR ELEVATOR DOORS.

Application filed June 16, 1923. Serial No. 645,830.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, THOMAS E. Ginn- FITH and LEE L. Donne, citizens ofthe United States, and residents of Cleveland, county of Cuyahoga, Stateof Ohio, have jointly invented a new and useful Improvement in OperatingMechanism for Elevator Doors, of which the following is a specification,the principle of the invention being herein explained, and the best modein which we have contemplated applying that principle, so as todistinguish it from other inventions.

The present invention, relating, as indicated, to operating mechanismfor elevator doors, is more particularly directed to an improvedmechanism for operating the doors of an elevator enclosure, whichmechanism is provided with means preventing the unauthorized opening ofthe door, where the latter, by carelessness or accident, has been leftin a partially open position. To the accomplishment of the foregoing andre lated ends, said invention, then, consists of: the means hereinafterfully described and particularly pointed out in the claims.

The annexed drawings and the following description set forth in detailcertain mechanism embodying the invention, such disclosed meansconstituting, however, but one of various mechanical forms in which theprinciple of the invention may be used.

In said annexed drawings Fig. 1 is a front elevation of elevator doorsprovided with the present operating means therefor; Fig. 2 is a view onan enlarged scale of the locking mechanism for preventing the opening ofthe door under conditions to be described; Fig. 3 is a plan view of themechanism shown in Fig. 2; Fig. 4 is a section on the line 4.4= in Fig.2; Fig. 5 is a View similar to Fig. 2 but showing the mechanism in theposition assumed when the door is partially open; Fig. 6 is a viewsimilar to Fig. 1, but showing a modified type of door opening andlockin mechanism; Fig. 7 is a view on an enlarged scale of the lockingmechanism in the closed position of the door; Fig. 8 is a view similarto Fig. 7 but showing the mechanism in the wide open position of thedoor; Fig. 9 is a similar view but showing the mechanism in thepartially open position of the door;

and Fig. 10 is a plan view of the mechanism of Fig. 7.

Referring now to Fig. 1, there is shown an elevator enclosure 1, theopening in which is normally closed by means of doors 2 and 3. Thesedoors are mounted to move laterally into the spaces 4:, and are so movedby means of operating means, consisting oi a link 5 attached to abracket 6 on the frame of the enclosure, a second link or handle member7, which is pivoted at the point 8 to the door 2, connected at one endto the link 5, and at its other end to a third link 10 about the pivot11, the other end of link 10 being pivotally connected to door 3 at 15.Mounted on the lever 7 is a handle 12 which is grasped by the operatorand pulled down to eilect an opening of the doors. The doors are openedby this movement of the handle member or lever 7 which throws the end 13of the member upward, shortening the distance between the points 6 and 8and bringing the door 2 to the left. At the same time the connection 11,between the levers 7 and 10, is brought down, shortening the efiectivelength of the levers 7 and 10 between the points 8 and 15, at whichpoints these two levers are fixed to the doors 2 and 3, respectively,and this causes the movement of the door 3 to the left in unison withthe door 2. The doors are closed by reversing the movement of the leversand adoor-closing device 16, operated by the swinging or the link 5during the opening of the doors, serves to return the doors to theclosed position as soon as the handle 12 is released. Thus far, thedescription relates to an ordinary construction of elevator doors andthe operating mechanism therefor.

In the operation of elevators the operator occasionally only partlycloses the doors, or the door closer for some reason fails to completelyclose thenrand they stand in a partially open position. it is essentialthat means be provided to prevent a further opening of the doors bysomeone in the corridor when the doors are standing in such partially openposition, and it is desirable that the doors be brought to a completelyclosed position before they can be again opened. As soon as they areclosed they cannot of course be opened from the corridor,

so that if means are provided which make it necessary to close the doorscompletely before they are .re-opened after being partly opened, suchmeans are effective to prevent a complete opening of the door from thecorridor, andto prevent accidents. The means which we employ for thispurpose consists of the following mechanism. Rigidly mounted on theinner end of the lever 10, and about the point 11 of pivotal connectionof the other lever 7, is a plate 20 provided with a cam portion 21 and aconcentric portion 22. This is also provided with a shoulder or lug 23.The lever 7, either throughout its length, or adjacent to its point ofpivotal connection 11, consists of spaced bars or plates 25 and 26,which are shown in Fig. 3, and between these parts is pivotally mounteda combined pawl and cam 27, which is pivotally mounted on a pin 28. Thispawl has a broadened weighted end portion 29 which limits the movementof the pawl in either direction, since the broadened end portion restsupon the bars 25 and 26, as shown in Figs. 2 and 3 when the doors are intheir closed position. The high point of the cam portion of the pawl 27is at the point 30 and the high point of the cam plate 20 is at thepoint 31. The normal position of the parts before the opening of thedoors is shown in Figs. 2 and 3, at which time the broad end 29 of thepawl rests upon the plates 25 and 26, and the cam 30 of the pawl is outof contact with the cam portion 21 of the plate 20.

When the doors are opened and the levers 7 and 10 swung downward aboutthe points 8 and 15, respectively, the pawl 27 is swung in a clockwisedirection until it drops by gravity against the lug 23. If the doors arenow returned to the closed position, the levers 7 and 10 are swungupwardly, again and the pawl 23 is rolled upwardly without .producingany frictional engagement be tween the two cam surfaces 30 and 31. Thefinal movement of the lever 10 brings the shoulder 23 into engagementwith a lug 33 provided on the pawl 27 and swings the pawlinto theposition shown in dotted lines in Fig. 2, from which position said pawldrops by gravity into the position seen in full lines and then the doorsmay be again opened. If, however, during the closing of the doors, it isattempted to open the doors before they have been fully closed, then thecam surface 31 on the plate 20 will engage and rotate the pawl 27 in aclockwise direction, bringing the high point of the cam 30 on the pawlinto engagement with the high point on the cam 31 and wedging the pawland plate together to prevent further relative movement of the levers 7and 10 in a downward direction. This action will take place at any timeafter the pawl 27 has fallen by gravity to the right, which is not untilthe end of the opening movement of the doors, but will not occur untilthis movement of the pawl has taken place and the pawl is so weightedthat it will not drop to this position until the doors have been broughtto their fully open position.

The action of the pawl as dropped into contact with the plate 20 duringthe opening of the doors is illustrated in Fig. 5, the cam surface 30 ofthe plate there being engaged with the concentric portion 22 of theplate. Upon further upward movement of the levers 7 and 10 the camportion 31 of the plate rides up into engagement with the cam surface 30of thepawl in position to effect the action described above ifthe leversare pulled downwardly to effect an opening a of the door before thedoors have been brought to the closed position when the pawl is restoredout of engagement with the plate 20.

The presentoperating means do not in any way affect the normal operationof the doors, and they add but few parts to the ordinary operatingmechanism. It. will be evident, however, that the action of cam plateand paw] efiectively prevent the re-opening of the doors before theyhave been brought to their closed position. p

A similar construction is shown in Figs. 6 to 10, inclusive, in which,however, the locking mechanism is applied to two levers 40 and 41, whichbreak upwardly instead of clownwardly when the doors are opened. Theselevers are applied to doors 42 and 43, which are of the two-speed typeand interconnected so that action of either door effects a simultaneousoperation of the other. The lever 40 is here fixed at one end to abracket 44 and is pivoted at the point 45 to one end of the'second lever41. The lever 41 in turn is pivoted at the point 46 to the door 43 andoperation of the levers is effected by a handle 47 extending downwardfrom the end of the lever 41. connected to a short extension 49 from thelever 40.

Mounted at the end of the lever 41 is a plate 50, provided with aportion 51 which is concentric with the pivot pin 45, and a cam portion66, the high point of which is at thepoint 67, while a lug 52 isprovided at the end of this cam portion '67 of the plate. Pivotallymounted on the lever 40 is a combined pawl and cam 55, provided with ashoulder or lug 56 adapted to engage against the lug 52 on the plate,and having a cam portion 57, the high point of the cam being at thepoint 58. 7

When the levers 40 and 41 are in align ment and the doors are closed thepawl 55 is in the position shown in Fig. 7.' As the levers arebrought-into the position shown A door closing device 48 is in'Figs. 6and 8, the pawl drops by gravity to the left, the weighted upper endeffecting this action. The cam part of the pawl inseam then restsagainst the concentric portion 51 of the plate 50, as shown in Fig. 8.As the levers are brought downward to their normal position during theclosing of the doors the cam 58 on the pawl first rides over theconcentric portion 51 of the plate and then over the cam portion 66thereof. If the doors are stopped before they are entirely closed andare started toward their open position again the high point 58 of thecam 57 is quickly rolled into looking engagement with the high point 67on the cam 66, thus locking the levers 40 and ll and preventing furthermovement thereof toward the open position. It is not until the levershave almost reached their straight line position that the pawl 55 hasbeen brought into a position to which the weighted upper endoverbalances the lower end and throws this cam down into the positionshown in Fig. 7, in which position the cam portion of the pawl cannotpoint against the cam portion of the plate until the pawl is againthrown into the position of F 6. Similar to the action of lugs 23 and33, heretofore described, the lug 52 engages the lug 56 during the lastpart of the closing movement of the doors, and aids in restoring thepawl 55 to inoperative position.

The. action of the locking means shown in Figs. 6 and 10, and describedabove, is extremely similar to that of the means shown in Figs. 1 to 5.Both forms of locking means effect the same results, that is, theypermit the normal operation of the doors, but prevent unauthorizedopening of the doors from apartially open position. It will of course beunderstood that the operator can always reopen the doors even though hehas not entirely closed them by holding the pawl out of action duringthe reopening or by closing the door the full distance and then openingit over again.

Other modes of applying the principle of our invention may be employedinstead of the one explained, change being made as regards the mechanismherein disclosed, provided the means stated by any of the followingclaims or the equivalent of such stated means be employed.

ive therefore particularly point out and distinctly claim as ourinvention 1. Elevator door operating mechanism including a door, twopivotally connected levers for effecting the operation of said door, acam plate mounted on one of said levers, and a cooperating cam pawlmounted on the other lever, said pawl and cam plate operating to preventthe reopening of said door prior to the complete closing thereof.

2. Door operating mechanism comprising two pivotally connected leversadapted to normally lie in longitudinal alignment, a cam plate mountedon one of said levers, a cam pawl mounted on the other lever and adaptedto cooperate with said plate to prevent the reconverging of said leversafter they have been once. converged, and means for rendering said pawlinoperative upon the complete straightening of said levers.

3. Door operating mechanism comp-rising two pivotally connected leversadapted to normally lie in longitudinal alignment, a cam plate mountedon one of said levers adj acent the pivotal point thereof, an eccentriccam portion on said plate, a cam pawl piv otally mounted on the otherlever adjacent said pivotal point, and an eccentric cam portion on saidpawl, said pawl being movable by gravity toward said plate upon theconvergence of said levers, and said cam portions being adapted toprevent reconvergence of said levers.

a. Door operating mechanism comprising two pivotally connected leversadapted to normally lie in longitudinal alignment, a cam plate mountedon one of said levers adjacent the pivotal point thereof, an eccentriccam portion on said plate, a cam pawl pivotally mountedon the otherlever adjacent said pivotal point, an eccentric cam portion on saidpawl, said pawl normally being out of engagement with said plate andbeing movable by gravity toward the plate upon the convergence of saidlevers and said cam portions being adapted to prevent reconvcrgence ofsaid levers, and means for restoring said pawl to inoperative 'positionupon the final straightening of said levers.

5. Elevator door operating mechanism ineluding a door, two pivotallyconnected levers for effecting the operation of said doors and meansmounted on said levers adjacent the pivotal point thereof for preventingthe reopening of said door prior to the complete closing thereof, saidmeans being ren dered inoperative upon said final closing of the door.

6. Elevator door operating mechanism including a door, two pivotallyconnected levers for effecting the operation of said door, and meansmounted on said levers adjacent the pivotal point thereof for preventingthe reopening of said door prior to the complete closing thereof, saidmeans being rendered operable from the opening of said door and beingrendered inoperative upon the final closing of said door.

Signedby us this 8th day of June, 1923.

THOMAS E. GRIFFITH. LEE L. DODDS.

